Bigger news is that 6-0 200 pd Victor Cruz is expected to start at WR. Cruz was a highly touted recruit who will be in his fourth season with the Minutemen. In 2007, Cruz played in eight games and had one catch for 26 yards.

Take a bow anonymous commenter, who told us 6-2 230 pd Ryan Logan would move to H-Back.It's true.

But you didn't say All-conference RT Tackle Sean Calicchio is moving to center. Taking his place at RT will be 6-6 260 pd Rob Getek. Left Guard will be 6-8 296 pd Ben Coblyn. Reading between the lines, it looks like RG is still open.

Defense:

Brian Ellis will start at SS. At 6-0 210 he's a former LB who played in 11 games in '07 and had 25 tackles. His backup will me 6-0 205 pd Shane Viveiros. Another new face in the two-deep is backup FS Eric Dickson. He played in nine games in 2007 and had five tackles.

A new name in the defense is true freshman Nichlas Haag, who is DB from Bridgton Academy. I don't remember seeing him on previous recruiting lists.

There has always been a lot of comment on the size of our defensive line. Looks like we bulked up for 2007. DE Michael Hansen is 6-2 260 (he was listed as 235 last year). Captain Brandon Collier is now 6-1 280 . Kyle C. Harrington is the NG and is 6-3 280 (up from 256 last year).

One interesting fact is that Travis Tripucka a defender on the UMass Lax team will contend for the long snapper position. His uncle Mark Tripucka played QB for the Minutemen in the early 70's. Mark was the starting QB in 1974. He went 60-145 817 yards and 6 TD in the old Yankee Conference.

10 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I have to say that Liam is a very, very good and prolific quarterback, who has had the benefit of excellent teams around him, namely in the form of defenses that have been incredibly efficient, but the best ever? From a perspective of talent, no doubt he's great, but there have been others in the past who in my opinion have been a bit more talented.

Thanks again as always for the info you provide. We have never had such great news.

Only concern about your post is Getek on the OL. With all of our experienced OL players, upper-classmen and RS-FR who have already spend a year in our system we shouldn't see an underweight (less than 300 lbs) individual who has never played the position step in.

I am one of your posters who is pleased with the increased DL size. We need the size not for the CAA but for our drive to a National Championship!

I remember Mark Tripucka. Regards to Mark. Nice to see us developing a UMass Athletes Family. That should be one of the roles of the M Club. Hold some events for yourselves and get together at Football Games.

I would think that Incarnato on the OL will have a fire lit under his *** this year coming into camp. He has 1 year left to prove he isn't a flop. Looks like we have a solid group of O lineman. We need some expierance there. Colicchio at center will be a plus, as he knows the system and will make the right calls and adjustments at the line.Opening up with Albany and Holy Cross, although not gimme games, works out well as we can get these guys up to speed before the JMU game. There is nothing wrong with having 7 to 8 solid lineman for rotation and possible injuries. We will have probably the biggest O-Line we have ever had. D-line will be bigger, which will help our younger linebackers this year.

As for the comment regarding Coen as the best QB at UMass ever, who can you put up against him? Landry? Bankhead? Palazzi? Wilkos(b4 he hurt his neck)? Pecevich? McGrath? There have been some great ones, a few I probably missed. Coen has passed them all in the record books. I don't think Brown was off mark on that comment.

I did not see Landry play, but I did see Wilkos, Palazzi and Bankhead. Coen is very good, but to me Bankhead was better especially in big game situations and he threw the long ball more accurately than Coen has thus far in his career. Win the National Championship Liam.

I also think Incarnato might be a force to be recogned with come Aug football. A former roommate from told me that Incarnato was training all summer at a special gym and is topping 307 lbs. He said Incarnato is trying to get bigger so he can do better against the bull rush? As a student here I am not a big football fan of and have attended only one game last year but hope Incarnato does well since he is trying so hard and his friend claims that he is an exceptionally good person. I like good things to happen for good people like the rest of the guys on the team. Due to my schedule if the games are at night I will be attending most of them this season

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